Zac Taylor Offense

[jeremydc]

It was all a ruse.

[BengalsBong]

(01-09-2023, 09:56 AM)Big Boss Wrote: Obviously defensive turnovers/scores are part of the game, but it's worth considering that without those turnovers yesterday we very well could have lost.  The offense did next to nothing on its own.

I'd like to think they kept the scheme as vanilla as possible in order to keep the Ravens in the dark for next week, but the fact remained that they were still playing to win and what we saw was not ideal in that regard.  Burrow's performance was troubling, the pass plays to the LOS were frustrating, and now we're moving forward into the post-season with the entire right side of our offensive line being backups.  Just a very irritating showing yesterday, and now I'm not sure what to expect on Sunday night.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned.

My biggest concern is they sat Dobbins Zeitler and the starting QB. But I think as long as we stop the run and slowdown that TE, we will be ok their WR did not catch a pass till real late in the game. It was not a pass rush that made us look bad just bad throws and drops Burrow had a nice pocket for the most part.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(01-09-2023, 09:09 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Yep, I haven't dove into the stats but it sure seemed he had one of his worst games of the season accuracy wise. And I think there's a bit of truth to the fact they were playing a vanilla O most of the 2nd half because they knew they'd be facing them again next week.

Having said all of that I agree with the OP. The offense has to turn it back on.

Absolutely must get it in gear. Burrow himself said he played like shit. I'mma take his word for it, LoL.

IDK about the vanilla theory, could be some merit to that. Someone else noted above it's like the get complacent with a lead. Could just be a youth thing.....could be the calls....could be the opponent adjusting and us not countering fast enough, IDK. But to my eyes, it looks like a young squad taking their eyes off the prize. Play calling doesn't cause horrible INTs and fumbles (NE), or overthrows, missing a WR running wide open for a TD and throwing to the TE in traffic, dropped passes, audibling into a screen that gets blown up, etc. 

[Fan_in_Kettering]

(01-09-2023, 09:48 AM)bengals67 Wrote: Isn’t great that we finally have a great team that knows how to win when they are having an off game.

No doubt — but one cannot bring their “C” game into the playoffs and win.

[BengalsBong]

(01-09-2023, 10:15 AM)Wyche Wrote: Absolutely must get it in gear. Burrow himself said he played like shit. I'mma take his word for it, LoL.

IDK about the vanilla theory, could be some merit to that. Someone else noted above it's like the get complacent with a lead. Could just be a youth thing.....could be the calls....could be the opponent adjusting and us not countering fast enough, IDK. But to my eyes, it looks like a young squad taking their eyes off the prize. Play calling doesn't cause horrible INTs and fumbles (NE), or overthrows, missing a WR running wide open for a TD and throwing to the TE in traffic, dropped passes, audibling into a screen that gets blown up, etc. 

This is one big issue I got with Burrow he does seem to lead his guys right into big hits sometimes like the Tee hit. He can fit the ball in tight windows but that also leads to big hits that can sideline your players like the Boyd hit to head and Tee getting air knocked out of him. I know it is a AFC north game but damn that Tee hit was brutal. I have seen this in past weeks as well.

[R3stangs]

(01-09-2023, 08:27 AM)Wyche Wrote: I'm blaming the players more on this one. Chase fumbles in Foxboro, Burrow off target yesterday numerous times (said he played awful in his presser), and when he was on target, they dropped em. It's like they went on cruise control both games.

This is what I'm hoping. Lots of missed throws and drops yesterday, even from Tee and Chaase which was surprising. Still not sure what the hell happened with Tee on the sideline throw. He was wide open and Burrow dropped it right on him and he barely extended one hand. Not expecting the throw? and Chase dropped a TD pass that was a difficult catch but still right there for a guy of his skill. And Burrow high on several throws and flat out missed another TD to Higgins with overthrow.

Also want to believe as several others pointed out we were doing just enough to win but not showing everything since we play them again in a week. But the last few weeks the second half hasn't been confidence inspiring. 

[WeezyBengal]

I can't imagine how hard it has to be to get up for a game like yesterday.

Lack of/unsure of how to prepare throughout the week, know you're going against a 3rd string QB, know the Ravens are resting half their team, know you won the division but kind of didn't/not much incentive to play, not knowing how much to play your starters/open up the playbook, etc.

I do wonder how much of what they did yesterday is to manipulate the Ravens for next week's game. For example, they ran that same WR screen like 5x Sunday. I'd be willing to bet they throw in a wrinkle this Sunday and do something different, knowing the Ravens will be keying on it. I think ZT is smarter than a lot of us give him credit for.

[WeezyBengal]

(01-09-2023, 10:11 AM)jeremydc Wrote: It was all a ruse.

This is kind of where I am at. 

I think the Bengals did a lot that game to set Baltimore up for next game. 

[Sled21]

Zac said in his post game they held a lot back and played vanilla. They'll bring it all Sunday.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(01-09-2023, 11:13 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Zac said in his post game they held a lot back and played vanilla. They'll bring it all Sunday.

Welp, it wasn't a theory then......

[TecmoBengals]

(01-09-2023, 11:13 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Zac said in his post game they held a lot back and played vanilla. They'll bring it all Sunday.

Thank you for sharing as I didn't see his post game presser. That's awesome to hear and I hope we win big. I dislike the Browns, Steelers, and Ravens but something about the Ravens irks me even more lately.

[ezekiel23]

Hopefully,,,the Bengals learn something from their recent experiences of,(the tale of two halves),while moving forward.Not to worry though.As has been the case last year in the playoffs,,,and,again this year,the defense ALWAYS bails them out. It’s amazing.

[Sled21]

The hype team needs to put together another night like last Monday to get the Jungle rocking.

[XenoMorph]

thank goodness for the Defense

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-09-2023, 11:11 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: This is kind of where I am at. 

I think the Bengals did a lot that game to set Baltimore up for next game. 

(01-09-2023, 11:13 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Zac said in his post game they held a lot back and played vanilla. They'll bring it all Sunday.

It's been 3 straight game without a complete performance and this week looked almost exactly like the New England game. Zac is really playing the long con.  

[*pally*]

If you're wondering whether the Bengals held back on Sunday, Tee Higgins said they didn't call a lot of plays. Take that as you will.

— Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) January 9, 2023

[WeezyBengal]

(01-09-2023, 12:34 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: It's been 3 straight game without a complete performance and this week looked almost exactly like the New England game. Zac is really playing the long con.  

Dude, it's the NFL. Show me a team that just rolls teams each week. KC almost lost to the Raiders two weeks ago. The Bills offense looked like shit against that same Pats team for 3/4 of the game yesterday. 

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-09-2023, 09:26 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: It doesn’t necessarily bother me when the Cincinnati offense goes vanilla to protect a lead or not to show an upcoming opponent our hand but when the defense has to save the game, that’s too much for me to handle.

It shouldn't be, really. 

There wasn't ever a real threat in losing that game, which of course would have brought the coin flip into play--but would have been negated after the Chargers lost later in the evening--so, even though it was tough to watch, Zac seemed to decide to stay vanilla and just play the game out.

Players want to succeed in every situation, regardless, so i can see them being upset at not performing better, as vanilla as they were.

They stumbled in the 2nd half of the Pats game and came out firing for Buffalo. I think the setting and magnitude of the game this Sunday night will be more than enough for them to be up and focused, playing at their best. 

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-09-2023, 10:11 AM)jeremydc Wrote: It was all a ruse.

Bengals fans;

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-09-2023, 12:39 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Dude, it's the NFL. Show me a team that just rolls teams each week. KC almost lost to the Raiders two weeks ago. The Bills offense looked like shit against that same Pats team for 3/4 of the game yesterday. 

It's less the lack of steam rolling and more the clear on/off the Bengals offense seems to have each half of a game. The player talent is there to be dominant. They show it for halves. Why can't they string together two lately? 

They have a top-2 QB and arguably the best WR trio in the league but their Joe Burrow lead scoring offense is only 1 spot ahead of Kirk Cousins, 2 spots ahead of Geno Smith, and 3 spots ahead of Trevor Lawrence. They are 1 spot behind Brock Purdy/Jimmy G and 2 spots behind Jared Goff. None of those teams have as talented of players on offense as the Bengals and it shouldn't even be close.

It just feels like talent is carrying the Bengals offense rather than the Bengals offense elevating the talent. That's my real concern, I guess.